The Potter/Black Romance

Disclaimer: Yadda yadda yadda, I own hardly anything.

I'm too tired to individually reply to everyone's reviews but just so you know, I did read them and I thank you for liking this story!

OK, now, I have decided on Sirius' secret talent! He is going to be a Singer/Song writer! How does that suit you all? I already have some sappy love songs that he is going to write and then I'll be looking for more with good lyrics. Feel free to recommend some!

Chapter 10: The One With the Illness

James and Sirius had finally told James' parents about them getting married. What the two didn't expect though, was that James' mum would flip out, they had both expected it to be Michael who would get a bit irritated about this as they were both men. Not that Michael didn't accept their relationship but marriage between two men just became a little too much for some people.

Flashback: Four days Ago

"Married?" Questioned Michael for about the dozenth time in the last three minutes. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Well…" James trailed off and looked at his mother oddly. Irene was glaring darkly between him and Sirius.

"We just kind of forgot, Mike," explained Sirius, "Sorry, we had other things on our minds and we also had our NEWTs after James proposed, so, we never got round to telling you. Until now."

Michael smiled at his future son-in-law, "Don't worry about it. We still have money in James' Tertiary fund that Irene hasn't spent on makeovers and renovating the house."

"You what?!" Exclaimed James. "Mum!"

"Well, you have a job already, it doesn't matter." Said Irene grumpily. "Now why couldn't you two have given me some warning about your marriage?! You get engaged on Valentines Day and then tell me you want to get married before the end of the summer?! You should've told us straight away!"

Michael in the meantime had opened a bottle Firewhiskey and poured a little into three glasses, he handed one to Sirius and the other to James. He filled up a big glass of Sherry for Irene and then took his Firewhiskey and sat back down in his armchair by the fire.

"OK, yeah so what? We didn't tell you straight away, its no big deal," said James after downing his whiskey and burning his throat. "We don't want some big lavish affair with lots of people there, just something small with good friends and immediate family."

Sirius nodded, "My extended family though. Uncle Alphard, Andromeda, Ted and the little one, I can't remember her name."

"Nymphadora."

"That's it." Said Sirius smiling at James.

Irene shook her head, "Big or small, you still should have told us sooner."

Michael rolled his eyes, "They're adults. They didn't have to tell us at all if they didn't want to. Just be happy we've found out now instead of a year down the road when they're both in debt and eight months pregnant or something."

James drank down another glass of whiskey; "You bestow such confidence in us, dad."

Michael winked, "Of course."

"Men can get pregnant?" Asked Sirius worriedly. Everybody chose to ignore him as Irene carried on.

"That is not funny, Michael," growled Irene in a very Padfoot like way. "I still would like to have known a lot sooner than this."

Sirius sat back in his chair, "For God sakes woman! We just never bothered telling you because we thought it was painfully obvious and now that you know, you should be happy for us. Not going on about it like you are." His gaze was set in a half glare.

That shut Irene up.

Michael smirked and glanced between the two teenagers, "Celebratory drink boys?"

"Yeah sure." Said James getting quickly.

Sirius nodded to and stood. James and Sirius grabbed their jackets, bade goodbye to a still shocked Irene and followed Michael out the door and to a pub where the senior Potter shouted them drinks.

End Flashback

Now, four days later, the two young lovers were sitting at the Potters' kitchen table one fine Saturday going over Property Guides with James' parents.

Irene had come around about their late announcement of their engagement after Sirius had said what he wanted to say. She had actually been quite surprised that Sirius would speak to her like that, because he had always been so polite and courteous around her.

"Ooh, what about this one?" Said Sirius pointing to what looked to be a very big house.

"Remember who's buying this Sirius," pointed out Michael. "I'm not forking out that much for a house that'll be destroyed within days of you two living there."

James raised an eyebrow, "What if we want a family? We'll need a big house then."

"What idiot would let you two adopt?" Asked Michael earning a whack from his wife. "Ow…"

"It's not actually unheard of for men to get pregnant." Said Irene finally speaking.

The three men looked between each other in confusion.

"It's not?" Asked Sirius. Finally, he might get an answer to the question he had posed the other day.

Irene shook her head, "No. It can happen naturally – somehow – or with the help of a potion. I'm still unsure of how though. Many healers have been trying to figure out the genetics behind it, but, apparently the womb and uterus disappear after the baby is born."

James glanced at Sirius with raised eyebrows, Sirius just shrugged.

After a bit more looking through the property guide and arguing a bit, James started to feel quite sick. His head had been hurting most of the day and his stomach was upset, which is why he didn't have much breakfast, much to everyone's shock.

"James, are you all right?" Asked Irene in concern. She already suspected something was wrong with her son because he hardly ate anything for breakfast. Also, she was a Healer she recognized the signs of fevers and illnesses quite easily.

James shook his head, "I think I'm going to be sick." He got up and sprinted to the bathroom with his mother right behind him.

Sirius and Michael looked at each other and cringed when they heard James retching.

"Maybe it was something he ate." Suggested Sirius in concern.

Michael shrugged, "Food doesn't usually make him sick, unless his stomach's finally given up on him."

Sirius smirked as Irene came back into the kitchen. "I sent him back to bed feeling quite sorry for himself." She looked at Sirius. "I think he wants a hug."

When Sirius got upstairs, he found James curled up under a mound of covers in the middle of the bed with the blackout curtains drawn.

Sirius sat down on the side of the bed and stroked James' messy hair, "What's wrong?"

James sniffed, "She thinks I got the Flu or something."

Sirius bent down and pressed a kiss to James' already burning forehead, "Poor baby. I'll look after you."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Mumbled James.

"Shut up." Sirius trailed his fingers down James' now quite pale face, "God, you're burning up. Do you want anything? A drink?"

James just burrowed deeper under the covers and made a little noise, "Can I have a cuddle?"

"Of course you can." Sirius settled down beside James and put his arms around his sick fiancé. He kissed James' head, "I'm sure your mum'll get you something for this and you'll be better in no time."

James turned himself over onto his other side so he was facing Sirius, he snuggled closer and rested his forehead against Sirius' chest and sniffed again. Even though he was burning up, he felt absolutely freezing. Also, the only reason he was being so pathetic was because he rarely ever got ill, he would get the seasonal cold like most people, but never the Flu or some magical sickness and when he did get a bad illness it always hit hard.

Sirius stayed holding James for what must have been quite a few hours, because very soon Irene came upstairs and told him dinner was ready if he was hungry. She told him he could eat it up in their room with James, but he had to try and get James to have some soup, which might prove a difficult task.

Sirius lightly shook James awake when he had eaten his dinner, "Jamie?"

"Ngh."

"Do you want some soup?" Asked Sirius quietly. "Your mum said you should have some, it'll help keep our strength up and help you to get better sooner."

"…Don't want…" Mumbled James into the pillow. He didn't move at all.

Sirius sighed, "Come on Jamie, you need to eat." James made a noise. "You don't have to have it all. Just a little bit and I'll let you sleep."

James turned onto his back and pulled himself up a little. Sirius helped him sit upright and let James lean back against him while he was fed soup.

Sirius brushed James' hair away from his forehead and felt it; "You're still burning up." He reached for the bowl of soup and set it down on his lap, it was under a heating charm so it didn't go cold in case James was reluctant to have some. He got some soup on the spoon and moved it up to James' mouth, which was partly open already, James slurped the soup off the spoon but he seemed to be finding it hard to swallow.

Sirius reached up to his lover's throat, he massaged to James' Adam's apple gently until he had swallowed all the soup. Sirius had to repeat that a few more times until James refused to drink anymore of the chicken soup.

"Well at least you had some," said Sirius stroking James' hair soothingly after he put the soup bowl over on the bedside table. "I'm going to go downstairs, I'll let you sleep OK?"

"Will you come back?" Asked James hoarsely. His head was still pounding, even though he had had a potion for it by now and now he was starting to ache everywhere.

"Of course I will," replied Sirius, he pressed a kiss to James' hot forehead and helped the invalid settle back down comfortably. "Is there anything you need while I'm down there?"

James curled back up and closed his eyes, "I ache everywhere and my head hurts."

Sirius nodded, "Ok." That was his cue to get some potions off Irene for the aches and pains.

Sirius went quietly downstairs with the empty plates and goblets and into the kitchen where Irene and Michael were talking.

"Did he eat some of the soup?" Asked Irene in concern.

"Some of it." Replied Sirius, "He said he aches all over and his head still hurts."

Irene nodded thoughtfully, "Well that confirms it."

"What?" Asked Sirius looking between Irene and Michael for an answer.

"I think he has Wolf Fever." Replied Irene. Sirius raised an eyebrow and leaned back against the kitchen bench. "Well, it tends to give the same symptoms some werewolves suffer before and after their transformations. Nausea, loss of appetite, severe aches, dizziness and sometimes hallucinations."

Sirius frowned, "How do you catch it?"

"The most popular belief is from a werewolf, and the symptoms usually start within a day of being near said werewolf," explained Irene. "But neither you nor James have left the house in the last two days or been near Remus in about a week, so I don't think that's how he got it."

"Are you sure that's what's wrong with him though?" Questioned Sirius, "I mean, he hasn't been hallucinating although he is nauseous, and achy and he isn't hungry. Is there a way to get rid of it?"

Irene nodded, "There is a way to get rid of it yes. But the Potion takes about two days to brew, but if he hasn't got Wolf Fever the potion won't have much effect at all. If anything it will turn into a sleeping draught."

Sirius raised his eyebrows skeptically at Irene, "Can you make it?"

Irene frowned, "I've never had to try." Sirius frowned worriedly. "But if you help me, we can make the potion."

"OK." Agreed Sirius. Neither of the two had noticed that Michael had left the kitchen during their conversation.

Two and a half days later

"I still feel like shit." Grumbled James into his pillow.

Sirius sat back down on the bed and rubbed James' back, his skin was no longer as hot as it had been a couple of days previous. "She said the potion wouldn't take affect immediately. You just have to be patient."

"I don't have any patience."

"Tell me about it," replied Sirius rolling his eyes. "Anyway, you've already cooled down. I'm not burning myself every time I touch your skin, and you're not complaining of the cold anymore."

James rolled onto his back and looked up at Sirius through tired hazel eyes, he smiled slightly, "Thanks for being here."

Sirius smiled back at him, "No problem."

"No really, thank you," said James again. "I'm glad you were here, I'd hate to be that ill again and not have somebody who cares about me around."

Sirius leaned down and gave James a kiss on the lips, "I'm happy to help. Anyway, I like feeling needed."

James raised his eyebrows; "You are always needed and wanted, especially by me."

Sirius could practically feel himself falling in love with James all over again, after seeing the look in those hazel eyes after James had said those few words.

Sirius loved to feel needed and wanted by somebody. At Grimmauld he was never needed for anything except as a waste of space and he was definitely not wanted there either. But here, he was always wanted by James, and he knew James had needed him through his short bout of a very bad illness that had left him unable to move for nearly two days after the initial fever.

James held his arms out, "Hug?" Sirius grinned, he settled himself down in James' arms. The illness had left James quite weak and that was obvious in the hug, but Sirius didn't care. "…Love you, Siri."

Sirius lifted his head, he kissed James again, this time for longer. "Love you too, Jamie."

A/N: Well, I could've made that a whole lot better than it was. I also could've put more in about James' illness, so sorry I didn't, I really am.